Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA)

Officers

Sharon Todd (President)
HFESA
PO Box 290 Lancefield Victoria 3435
AUSTRALIA
president@ergonomics.org.au

Kathryn Jones (General Secretary)
PO Box 290 Lancefield Victoria 3435
AUSTRALIA
generalsecretary@ergonomics.org.au

Louise Whitby (Treasurer)
PO Box 290 Lancefield Victoria 3435
AUSTRALIA
treasurer@ergonomics.org.au

Valerie O’Keeffe (IEA Representative)
Flinders University
Tonsley, South Australia
Valerie.okeeffe@flinders.edu.au
Tel +61 402 843 436

Jacqui Wilkinson (HFESA Secretariat)
PO Box 290 Lancefield Victoria 3435
AUSTRALIA
Tel: 0451 306 565
Fax: +02 9680 9027
secretariat@ergonomics.org.au

HFESA Fact sheet

About HFESA

The HFESA was founded by members from Australia and New Zealand. The society became a federated member of the IEA in 1970 and has grown to over 470 active members, of which 76 are certified ergonomics professionals. The HFESA Professional Affairs Board, assesses and certifies HFE professionals in Australia in accordance with the IEA competencies.

HFE is practised across every industry in Australia, and has been built into Standards and Work, Health and Safety Codes of Practice. HFE requirements are also incorporated into the Australian Greenstar building requirements. Since HFE forms part of many Australian Standards, and forms part of a risk assessed system of work, there is an expectation for industry to consider HFE within work design and within the risk management framework. As such, there is currently no other specific HFE legislation in place.

Some of the biggest challenges that the HFESA has identified have been the covid pandemic and the lack of understanding of what HFE is from a community perspective. In order to address these challenges, HFESA uses its podcasts to reach a wider audience to promote HFE in the public space.

Overview of HFESA activities

In line with its mandate to promoting the application of sound HFE principles in the workplace, promoting the role of HFE professionals and providing relevant opportunities for professional development, HFESA hosts regular professional development sessions, a podcasts about HFE (which can be found here www.hfehub.au) and a variety of events the details of which can be found here: https://www.ergonomics.org.au/events/ .

The annual HFESA conference will be held from 19-22 November 2023 in Adelaide, South Australia under the theme “ Value and Vitality – Realising the Impact of Human Factors & Ergonomics”. Academics and practitioners are welcome to attend and submit papers on a range of topics including the following:

  • Cost- benefit impact
  • Social impact
  • Quality and safety impact
  • Participatory practice
  • Sociotechnical systems
  • Methods and measures
  • Design – systems, spaces, interfaces
  • Culture
  • Technology
  • Physical ergonomics

For more details on the conference, please visit the HFESA website: https://www.ergonomics.org.au/events/hfesa-2023-conference/ –

HFESA Membership

People that are interested in becoming members of HFESA can do so by selecting one of three different membership types as follows:

  • Full time students from any background can join as a student member
  • Anyone can join as an affiliate member if they have an interest in HFE.
  • Individuals with HFE experience and HFE qualifications can join as a full member
  • Individuals with HFE tertiary qualifications and four years HFE related experience can become certified through our Professional Affairs Board as a CPE (Certified Professional Ergonomist)

To find out more about HFESA membership please visit their website here: https://www.ergonomics.org.au/membership/membership-types/

Recent Activities

The HFESA has spent the last two years evolving into public facing body that represents our HFE profession. This is evidenced by being able to have a number of position papers released, the website refreshed to represent our profession appropriately (CHI user friendly, and more publicly interactive) and the behaviour of our Society being more outward facing; having a public opinion about things.

• Position paper on WMSDs launched with a national PD session, public friendly web article and media release;

• Position paper on GWD launched with a national PD session, public friendly web article and media release;

• Web collateral on Home Based Work and COVID matters launched with a national PD session;

• Position paper review committee formed and to review our prolonged unbroken sitting position and extending the paper to cover office workstations in general;

• Position paper committee formed to agree a position on distraction from devices (such as smart phones) in vehicles;

• Position paper committee formed to agree a position on insecure work (AKA the gig economy);

• The website is being refreshed and now at the beta testing phase after a significant delay due to COVID impacting developers in India; and

• The application to have our CPE program re-accredited by the IEA on track